Community Choice Energy

Walnut Creek Joins Clean Energy Program MCE

To address climate change and implement its Climate Action Plan, the City of Walnut Creek has joined MCE to offer residents and businesses additional electric energy choices.

MCE is a public, not-for-profit electricity provider offering a Community Choice Energy program that enables the City to partner with other local governments to purchase cleaner electricity for Walnut Creek residents and businesses. MCE gives consumers more options for their electricity provider, competitive rates, and cleaner energy.

Community Choice Energy is a hybrid approach between private investor-owned utilities and public municipal utilities that was approved by the California legislature through AB 117 in 2002. Since September 2016, MCE has become the default electricity provider. PG&E continues to be responsible for transmitting and distributing electricity through the grid, maintaining infrastructure, billing customers, and providing customer services. Learn more about MCE by visiting MCE's website or calling 1 (888) 632-3674.

Cost

MCE's goal is to have rates that are competitive with PG&E. Rates are approved by MCE's Board of Directors, made up of an elected official from each participating City and County. Check MCE's and PG&E's websites for the most up-to-date rates. MCE's website has a residential and commercial sample cost comparison.

Discount Customers

CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline customers are unaffected by enrollment; these customers automatically receive the same discount with MCE as they would with PG&E. Contact PG&E and MCE for more information about how overall rates compare.

Solar

Customers with rooftop solar, or who are interested in going solar, can learn more about MCE's solar Net Energy Metering policy, rates, and incentives here. For detailed questions about solar rates or Time of Use rates, please call MCE's call center at 1 (888) 632-3674.

Billing

PG&E will still send your monthly bill, but instead of one fee that combines both your electric delivery fees and electric generation fees, your bill will show separate charges – one for PG&E electric delivery and one for MCE electric generation. MCE’s generation rates will simply replace PG&E’s generation rates; they are not an added fee.

Comparison of Renewable Energy Options

PG&E

PG&E Solar choice 50%

PG&E solar choice 100%

MCE Light Green

MCE Deep Green

MCE Local Sol

How to Participate

Opt-out

1. Opt-out of MCE

2. Sign-up for Solar Choice PG&E

1. Opt-out of MCE

2. Sign-up for Solar Choice PG&E

MCE Default. No action required.

Opt-up

Opt-up

Renewable Energy (%)

30%

50%

100%

52%

100%

100%

Unincorporated Walnut Creek

Contra Costa's Board of Supervisors voted on March 15, 2016, in favor of moving ahead with studying the potential for a local Contra Costa County Community Choice Energy program. In Spring 2017, the County's Board of Supervisors voted to join MCE. Several other Contra Costa County cities have also recently voted in 2017 to join MCE. Residents and businesses in unincorporated areas switched to MCE's service in Spring 2018, with an opportunity to opt-out and remain with PG&E. Learn more about the County's Community Choice Energy decision.

Why am I automatically enrolled in MCE if I don't opt out?

Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs are required by State law to be the primary power provider for the areas that they serve rather than existing investor-owned utilities. As the primary power provider, customers receive CCE service by default but may opt-out to receive service from their investor-owned utility.

Is there a fee for opting out of MCE?

There is no charge for opting out of MCE before or within the first 60 days of service. After the first 60 days of service, MCE will charge a one-time $5 (residential) or $25 (commercial) administrative fee per account.

Can I return to MCE after I opt out?

Customers who opt out before starting MCE service or within the first 60 days of MCE service may return to MCE service at any time. Customers who opt out after the first 60 days of service with MCE will be prohibited by PG&E from returning to MCE for one year.

Are there any time restrictions on my ability to opt out?

Customers may request to opt out of MCE service after they receive their 1st notification in the mail. Requests will be processed as soon as possible and may take up to 5 business days to process. For active accounts, PG&E will process opt outs effective at the end of your current bill cycle.
If you request to opt out of MCE service after 60 days of service with MCE (i.e. 60 days after August or September enrollment), PG&E will prohibit you from returning to MCE for one year. In addition, PG&E provides two options for customers who wish to return to PG&E after the first 60 days of service:

A customer may request to return to PG&E by providing 6 months advance notice. The customer will continue to receive energy from MCE for 6 months, after which time they will return to PG&E. PG&E will apply their standard rates upon the customer’s return.

A customer may request to return to PG&E immediately, but will be subject to PG&E’s Transitional Bundled Commodity Cost (TBCC) rate program for 6 months instead of PG&E’s traditional rates. PG&E’s TBCC rate is transitional and varies from month to month.

Customers should contact PG&E for more information about TBCC and their options for returning to PG&E after the first 60 days of service with MCE.

How do I opt out?

To opt-out, call MCE’s call center at 1 (888) 632-3674 or visit https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/opt-out/. Please have your PG&E bill or your PG&E account number and billing address on hand because we will need your account information in order to process your request.

Do I have to participate in MCE?

No. The purpose of MCE is to give customers a choice of power providers rather than having to rely on a single provider. We wholeheartedly support your right to choose your provider – any customer may request to opt out of MCE at any time.